| Next to price, capacity has been among the top | | | | NASA CREAM Project where a total of 36GB of |
| issues that level out solid-state flash disk with | | | | heavy-nuclei data was recorded onto a 43GB E-Disk |
| magnetic hard drives. If not for those two factors, | | | | flash drive over a period of 41 days and 22 hours |
| solid-state disks would be the runaway winner | | | | on-flight. The project's objective was to investigate |
| offering ruggedness, speed and small footprints. | | | | the composition of ultra-high energy cosmic rays on |
| However, recent developments are starting to | | | | board a Long Duration Balloon (LDB) vehicle |
| change the conditions. | | | | developed by NASA. In cases like this, data storage |
| According to the "New Data Center" benchmark | | | | capacity is as crucial as any other component of the |
| published by Nemertes Research, "Storage is growing | | | | project. It becomes the by-product of initial |
| at a rate of 22% year-on-year through 2005 and | | | | investigations, giving scientists critical information for |
| 2006 (predicted to continue through 2007), and many | | | | accurate conclusions and discoveries. |
| companies top even that growth, reporting growth | | | | The consumer industry is not so far behind when it |
| rates of 100%, 150%, and in some cases 300% or | | | | comes to demand for bigger storage capacities. The |
| more." This only proves the point that storage | | | | introduction of Windows Vista to the market marks |
| capacity has gone into the level of a commodity. | | | | the need for more storage if only to improve |
| Way back in the pre-PC era, storage would only | | | | performance by speeding up basic operations such as |
| refer to an attic, storeroom, or any space where | | | | start-up, shut down and resume functions. |
| you dump infrequently used items that you plan to | | | | The widespread digitization of data and its |
| access in the near future. People are only limited to | | | | convenient access via the web is another issue. From |
| any amount of space available for that purpose. You'll | | | | high-resolution videos to satellite maps ready for |
| have to literally fit them all in, otherwise, it goes to | | | | downloading as needed, consumers have become |
| thrash. The same principle applies to data storage | | | | trigger-happy mammals in hoarding all kinds of |
| prior to its commoditization. Previously, unless you're | | | | information within the bounds of their interest. |
| working for the military or handle other highly | | | | Knowing you have them on your PC ready for |
| confidential data, you wouldn't need that much | | | | access anytime is a surefire cause to long for more |
| storage space. | | | | storage capacities. This demand is coming not from |
| But that ain't true now. | | | | one entity but from the widest range of industries |
| What's Driving Capacity to get Bigger | | | | including government, enterprise, military, healthcare, |
| According to IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Disk Storage | | | | banking, education and of course consumer. All of |
| Tracker, worldwide external disk storage systems | | | | these industries have somehow expanded their |
| factory revenues grew 8.5% in the second quarter | | | | applications producing more files that will eventually |
| to $4.2 billion for the 13th consecutive quarter of | | | | need bigger storage. Desktop publishing, animation |
| year-over-year growth. The total disk storage | | | | and digital video editing have increased the demand |
| systems market grew to $5.9 billion for the quarter, | | | | for storage in offices. 3G and multimedia cellphones |
| up 6.0% from the prior year's quarter. For the first | | | | on the other hand, triggered the increase in capacity |
| time, total disk storage systems capacity shipped | | | | for mobile storage. |
| 704 petabytes, growing 51.5% from the same | | | | The last but biggest influence for the growth in |
| quarter one year ago. | | | | solid-state storage capacity is the substantial |
| A huge part of this increasing demand comes from | | | | decrease in the prices of raw materials. Since the |
| the enterprise. Online transactions and networked | | | | solid-state disk's inception about fifteen years ago, |
| storage require high capacity and speed for a good | | | | the decline in prices have been dramatic year on |
| backend systems support. Blade storage has come | | | | year. Just last year, the cost of flash memory was |
| into the picture offering advantages in size, | | | | $55 per GB; now it is pegged at $30. Factors like |
| functionality and cost of ownership. It offers bigger | | | | cheaper raw materials, simpler processes, competition |
| capacity at smaller footprints, eliminating complex | | | | and higher demand continually push the price of |
| set-ups for cooling facilities and cables. Given this | | | | storage downward, thinning the difference when |
| scenario, upgrades in storage capacities come as | | | | compared to magnetic hard drives. |
| frequently as the demand for more space peaks. | | | | In the end, capacity and price are interlocking factors |
| Military and industrial applications take another chunk | | | | causing the growth of storage capacities. The huge |
| of the demand. As of late, high capacity takes center | | | | capacity that was once only offered by magnetic |
| stage in defining the results of experiments, research | | | | hard drives is now possible for solid-state disks at a |
| or data gathering projects. Such has happened in the | | | | price point that can fight head-on in the market. |